Squats: a workout staple to make life easier
By Mercedes Kay Gold, CNP, CPT
There are more than 600 muscles in the body and all are important. Some may say the heart tops the list. This symbol of love pumps blood and is essential to move nutrients and toxins through the body. The heart muscle is crucial. As a personal trainer, and fitness enthusiast, this true lover of cardiovascular-based workouts knows the value of this smooth muscle and importance of a low resting heart rate, but functional life seems to be a struggle for many people today. Excess weight, aging, and inactivity all impact day-to-day living.
If there is only one exercise I could prescribe to every age group, it’s the squat.
Squats are synonymous with strength. The definition of a squat according to Wikipedia, “A trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up.”
Squats can be done at any age and when performed correctly, this multi-muscle exercise is your link to longevity inside and out.
Squats have a slew of benefits from burning calories to strengthening the core, bones and joints. They build muscle mass, offset injuries and help improve balance and posture.
Squats require several muscles, and totally top-notch since upper and lower body muscles work together. The family of leg muscles including quadriceps, hamstrings and adductors, as well as hip flexors and calves. Squats target the front and back of the body, plus all the glutes and even your abdominals and the back muscles running alongside the spine or erector spinae.
Why squats? Squats support standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending over and carrying objects. Squats make real life easier but yes, they are a workout staple to increase performance.
What’s your level of activity? Are you impacted by a limited range of motion, pain, or laziness? Begin with a sit and stand squat. Start today. Simply sit off the edge of a firm surface, sit tall, stand and sit back down. Repeat until your legs tell you to stop!
Let’s go! Stand up and ready set squat!
- Feet should be hip-width apart and toes can be turned slightly out.
- Chest should be open and proud.
- Squeeze your abdominals and let your weight sit in your heels.
- Hinge at the hips, bend at the knees and ankles, and lower yourself. The goal is be parallel or knees bent to a 90-degree angle. Press your weight into heels, squeeze your tushy and straighten your legs, lifting yourself back to a standing position. Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions. Increase by doing multiple sets as it becomes easier.
Squats are superb. As a trainee gains strength, progressions can be added. Adding dumbbells, altering the position of feet, timing speedy air squats, pulse it out or add upper body movements to make it more challenging.
Moving your body works the heart, lowers blood pressure, releases happy hormones and leads to longevity so get up off the couch. Congratulations, that’s one squat!
Mercedes Kay Gold is a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Holistic Nutritionist who loves helping others live their best life when not spending time with her children and grandson, Theodore. She can be reached at mercedeskaygoldfitness@gmail.com
Photo credit: © Dean Drobot via Canva.com